


Summers with Dragons

by MissandMarauder



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2019-01-04 15:09:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12171348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissandMarauder/pseuds/MissandMarauder
Summary: The irony of Draco falling for a dragon tamer was not lost on him, but Merlin the man could sing!





	Summers with Dragons

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [SingMeARareOSComp](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/SingMeARareOSComp) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Everlong, by Foo Fighters
> 
> "Come down, and waste away with me, Down with me, Slow how you wanted it to be."
> 
> This piece is part of the Sing Me A Rare OS Competition Autumn 2017. I had a choice of song and one character which are Everlong, by Foo Fighters, and Draco Malfoy. The Admins of the group then randomly chose the other character or characters. All characters, spells, magical equipment and locations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling.
> 
> I'd like to thank my beta and alpha, HC and LR.

Draco had never been so hot in his life. He wouldn't have been surprised if his  _sweat_ was perspiring at this point.

His meticulously tailored robes were sticking to him in the most uncomfortable places. He could feel the grit of dust and dirt wiggling its way between his toes and other unmentionable places. He grimaced, praying to anyone or anything that could  _possibly_  be listening, that his new accommodations would have a decent shower and comfortable bed.

He was in Romania on behalf of the Department for the Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures. It was time for the annual dragon reserve audit and report since the Romanian reserve was largely run by British coin and manpower. Draco had drawn the short end of the stick at work and landed himself in Romania for the better part of the summer.

If he didn't melt before his task was completed.

It was his first time in the area, and he was quite certain it would be his last. He might break his lifelong record of avoiding a sunburn if he had to stay any longer than necessary in this place that rivalled the heat of the seven hells.

He huffed and pushed his way into the dragon reserve's main office. The cool air washed over him, his eyes closing in relief as the door swung shut behind him. "Thank Merlin for cooling charms," he whispered, wondering why he hadn't thought to cast one during his long walk over from the international portkey arrival point. He heard Granger's voice teasing him in the back of his mind.  _It's that posh pureblood upbringing coming back to kick you in the arse, Malfoy. You never had to learn to do much of anything for yourself until recently._

He rolled his eyes beneath their lids as a husky, cheerful, decidedly  _male_  voice said, "All you Ministry workers are just the same. Pansies."

Draco's eyes snapped open, his face flushing at being caught in a rare moment of human weakness. "Pansy is my best friend, actually. I'm Draco Malfoy."

The other man laughed, his sea-blue eyes crinkling at the corners. Tanned skin was broken by the occasional scar and the flash of his brilliantly white smile. Draco's tongue ran its way across his own teeth involuntarily, subconsciously feeling the need to compare his own perfectly straight, pearly smile to this handsome, redheaded stranger's.

Redhead. He was a redhead.

_Oh, Merlin. Don't let him be a Weasley._

"Charlie Weasley. Head dragon handler."

The universe must hate him. Weasley was dressed from head to toe in leather, from the strap keeping his hair tied back, down to his well-worn dragonhide boots. If Draco hadn't been sure he was gay by the time he'd first kissed a man several years before, he was absolutely certain now. He withheld his groan of frustration by sheer force of will and stuck out his hand in offering. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Charlie returned, his hand rough with callouses and warm in Draco's grasp. His mouth quirked up again as he held the handshake for a moment longer than necessary. He gazed steadily into Draco's eyes. Attraction pulsed through Draco's veins and pounded in his head.

It was all too much, and he dropped his hand, glancing away. "Should we get started?"

Charlie offered his ever-ready smile and said, "A man of action. I like that." He clapped his hands together. "Let's." He turned and led the way further back into the office. The building was much larger than it had appeared from the outside. Draco found himself worrying about finding his way back when the workday was done by the time they arrived at their destination. Charlie lit the room with a flick of his wand, illuminating the large office, containing half a dozen large filing cabinets and a rack of parchment, quills, and other office supplies. "This is the office the Ministry uses for their audits and records. It's all yours for as long as you need it. My office is down the hall, but I'm normally outside working with the dragons. We typically use a patronus to send messages between the office and field, so you're welcome to do that if you ever have questions or need anything else from me." He winked.

Draco's stomach plummeted well past the heels of his own handmade leather boots, heart hammering in his throat uncomfortably. He swallowed around the newfound lump there, choking out, "Thank you."

Charlie's returning grin was absolutely rakish. "Anytime."

The dragon handler swaggered out of the office, leaving Draco to plop unceremoniously into the chair behind his new desk.

_Bloody hell._ This job was going to be the death of him, one way or another.

* * *

The first week went by without incident. Draco spent most of his time in the office, going through various files and reports. Occasionally, he would need to meet with the various handlers and other staff, but he only saw Charlie for a few minutes here and there.

He couldn't decide if he was relieved or disappointed.

The end of his first week on the reserve arrived before he knew it. When the sounds of others closing up shop for the day drifted to his office, he gratefully piled up the files he was currently working on and placed them on the corner of his desk, ready to go for Monday morning.

He left the office, excited to spend some quality time with his bed—and talk to his mother and Hermione the next day. The witch had befriended him, much to his surprise, by sheer force of will during their eighth year at Hogwarts. She'd been adamant that they could either help each other study or continue to endure the increasingly awkward animosity between them as their group of mutual friends quickly grew. Theo and Luna had started dating first, quickly followed by Ginny and Blaise. Harry had been trying to make a move on Pansy—something absolutely  _no one_ had seen coming—when they ended up playing spin the bottle one night. Harry's plan had backfired when his turn to spin the bottle landed on Draco. Their shared kiss had embarrassed the Boy Wonder to no end—though he did his best to laugh it off—and aroused Draco enough that he wanted to hex himself. But at least that had helped him figure out he was gay! Hermione was, surprisingly, one of the first ones he'd told. She'd been trying to set him up with people ever since. Her latest recommendation was Charlie, and he'd been hearing all about the man's better qualities for more than six months before he finally left on his trip to Romania. Hermione had cackled in matchmaking triumph and nearly fallen out of her seat at work when she heard the announcement about his assignment there.

He went to bed early that night, looking forward to talking to his two favourite women almost as much as he was dreading the impending "Isn't Charlie lovely?" conversation he was sure he was about to have with Hermione via international floo call.

By the time Saturday night rolled around, Draco was feeling too homesick to postpone calling. His knees regretted the length of the calls, but it was good to see his mother's face and hear her typical inane recitations of the beautiful things she'd worn and bought, as well as far more interesting descriptions of her charity work (helping her sister Andromeda with the war orphan effort) and gossip from back home. It seemed that Blaise and Ginny had gotten back together recently, and Draco found the snarky remark he would have normally made about the Weasleys dying on his tongue. Instead, he finished up his talk with his mother and used the remainder of his time to call Hermione.

"Finally!" she yelled as he poked his head back into the flames. "I was wondering if you would ever call."

"And miss out on the opportunity to hear you say, 'I told you so?' Never." He cheekily responded.

Grinning, Hermione bounced up and down on her knees in front of the hearth. "Sooo! Tell me everything. I haven't seen him since Christmas, but I assume he's as fit as ever?"

Feeling self-conscious, Draco rubbed at the back of his neck. "One could say that, I suppose."

Flicking her hair over her shoulder in frustration, Hermione whined, "Details, Malfoy, I need details!"

"An owl may be a more appropriate form of communication for such gossip."

Her head was already shaking back and forth. "And miss out on the opportunity to see you squirm? Never." She winked, but he knew she was completely serious.

Sighing, he elaborated. "The man is always dressed head to toe in leather. I can't comprehend how he survives it, since it is literally as hot as Hades' hellfire here, but he always looks  _bloody amazing_." He rambled on, "He is literally the first redhead I have ever found attractive, and I think he might return the sentiment."

Hermione's jaw dropped open before she stood and started dancing around the room, popping in and out of Draco's line of sight. He ran a hand over his eyes, mortified, but not loving his best friend any less for her need to act like a total Gryffindor about absolutely everything.

When she finally calmed down enough to come back to the fire, she asked, "Are you going to ask him out?"

He scoffed. "How, precisely, am I supposed to go about that? 'I know we've only just met, but I noticed we have rather impressive chemistry. Would you care to join me for a drink at your earliest possible convenience?'"

"Yes!" Why was he not surprised by her answer? "Exactly like that."

"Bloody Gryffindors, the lot of you," he mumbled under his breath, but Hermione caught it.

"Well, it stands to reason that asking a Gryffindor for advice on wooing another Gryffindor could be a good idea, don't you think?"

"All I bloody know is that if you try to make me do some touchy-feely nonsense to get in touch with my emotional side or whatever, I may vomit."

Hermione laughed so hard she collapsed onto the hearth rug. When her giggles finally subsided enough to let her talk again, she said, "Fair warning—I have to say it."

Draco bowed his head in acceptance.

" _I told you so._ "

"Thank you ever so much... Someone's tapping me on the shoulder. You've wasted my call time allowance with your need to spread your ridiculous feelings around everywhere. Are you happy?"

"Ecstatic."

"I will talk to you next week, Granger."

"I love you, too."

Draco only snorted and pulled his head from the fire, dusting off his trousers as he stood to apologize to the next person in line for going over his time limit. "Sorry, mate…" The rest of the sentence died in his mouth as his sight was suddenly filled with leather and wild,  _loose,_  red curls.

"Please don't apologize. I should probably be the one saying sorry for checking you out before I let you know I was here." Charlie bit his lip to keep his grin under wraps. It only half worked. If anything, it only made him look even  _more_  attractive. Draco wanted nothing more than to bite that lip for him.

His face was gradually being overcome by flames. "How much of that conversation did you overhear, exactly?"

"Enough to know we're going out to get drinks tonight," Charlie admitted. "I promised my mum I'd call today, but if you're willing to wait up, I can show you the town and pub."

Draco nodded dumbly, wondering if this was real life or some kind of twisted, beautiful dream.

He took a seat in the waiting room nearby, only glancing over occasionally to appreciate the Adonis kneeling down at the hearth. Draco had been absolutely certain the man couldn't get better looking, but then he'd had to go and take his hair out of its leather fastening.

"Merlin," Draco groused to himself, turning his gaze away and attempting to restore his normally unruffled composure.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Charlie said, announcing his presence as he came to join Draco. "Shall we?" One scarred, muscular arm gestured toward the door, and Draco stood, leading the way out onto the street.

* * *

Draco couldn't remember the last time he'd been this drunk.

The dragon keeper had an unreal ability to convince the Slytherin to accept 'just one more drink,' until Draco was forced to lean on Charlie for support. The redhead's blue eyes danced with laughter as he insisted, "Dance with me."

"Will anyone care?" Draco gestured to the crowd around them, remembering the looks of disgust he'd received from some of the more bigoted members of British wizarding society when he'd brought men to various Ministry events.

Charlie laughed, shaking his head. "They all know which way I swing."

"Oh. I'm not taking you away from anyone, am I?" Being the 'other man' was not on Draco's summer to-do list.

"No, Draco." Hearing his name on Charlie's lips for the first time made him feel like someone had sent a  _Tarantallegra_ straight at his heart, making funny, fluttering movements in his chest. "Hardly," Charlie continued. "I haven't had a boyfriend in ages. The staff here doesn't change much from year to year, and I never could convince any of the blokes I was interested in back home to visit me more than once or twice. The auditors they sent from the Ministry over the past few years were all women, but it looks like I got lucky this year." He winked.

Draco's mouth went dry at the implication, and he was powerless to do more than sway with the dragon handler on the dance floor, their breaths intermingling, hands on hips and shoulders, drawing each other closer. They slotted together like long-lost pieces of the same puzzle, Charlie's stocky, muscular frame somehow fitting into all the empty spaces in Draco's taller, more angular one. The song wasn't familiar to Draco, but he didn't care as he clung to Charlie's waist, mesmerized by the redhead as he let his eyes fall closed and gave himself over to the music.

Draco had never seen anything—or anyone—so beautiful before.

They were both out of breath by the time a slow song came on, and they welcomed the change of pace, panting and grinning at each other as Draco slung his arms around Charlie's hips, while Charlie wrapped his around Draco's neck.

The dragon tamer grinned up at Draco and huskily said, "I love this song." The acoustic guitar and smooth vocals filtered down through the crowd from the Muggle speakers, and Draco tried to place the song.

"I can't hear it very well, but I don't think I recognize it. Who is the singer?"

Charlie hummed along as Draco spoke, stopping to answer, "Song's called 'Everlong.' By the Foo Fighters, Muggle band from America. One of the handlers here did part of her training on the reserve there, and she got me hooked on them."

Nodding, Draco tried to listen to the lyrics.

He was utterly unprepared for when Charlie started singing softly in his ear.

" _And I wonder when I sing along with you_

_If everything could ever feel this real forever_

_If anything could ever be this good again_

_The only thing I'll ever ask of you_

_You've got to promise not to stop when I say when…"_

Draco's heart thundered in his chest with the force of a stampeding hippogriff.

The hair, the body, the voice, the personality...It all seemed too good to be true.

"Do you always come onto the new guy this strong?" Draco asked, bewildered. "You don't even know if I like blokes."

Charlie laughed, chagrined. Shaking his head, he admitted, "Hermione may have told me a little bit about you before you arrived. And I overheard part of your floo call, remember?"

Draco groaned, lowering his head onto Charlie's shoulder and mumbled, "Oh, right. Merlin, I must be more drunk than I thought. And of course, she did. Why am I even surprised anymore?"

Ignoring the question, Charlie sought out safer waters for conversation. "How long have you two been friends?"

"The year after the war. She and Potter testified at my trial, bloody Gryffindors that they are, and we were pulled together by mutual friends after we went back to school. McGonagall was pushing some 'inter-house unity' shit that forced all of us older students to share a common room, so we were constantly running into each other anyway." He glanced over Charlie's shoulder, lost in thought. "We had more in common than I thought."

Charlie nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer. "She must know you pretty well, then."

Narrowing his eyes, Draco answered, "I suppose…"

"Why don't we see if we're as good a match as she seems to think we are?" Charlie reasoned, tugging the blond man closer until their lips were so close that Draco only had to move a fraction of an inch to initiate their first kiss.

He didn't.

The moment stretched out, tense and awkward and full of longing, until Draco turned his face away. "You wouldn't like me quite so much if you actually knew me."

Charlie looked confused, but the set of his jaw suggested he was as stubborn as any Gryffindor when issued a challenge. "Why don't you let me decide that for myself?" Instead of waiting for Draco's response, he closed the distance between them, crushing their lips together in the most heated first kiss Draco had ever experienced. They both battled for dominance, but Charlie won out, fisting his hand in Draco's silky hair and crushing him against the nearby wall. Even as their lips and tongues fought each other, Charlie cupped Draco's face with infinite tenderness, while Draco felt himself spiralling out of control. Things were going too fast. Charlie didn't know more than a handful of trivial facts about him, probably whatever nonsense the press decided to print about his family. Everyone always left when they really got to know the person beneath Draco's beautiful exterior.

"No, stop," Draco said, not convincing anyone. Charlie chuckled as he kept on kissing him, weakening his resolve.  _Merlin_ , he wanted, more than anything, to get lost in that kiss forever, but it was all going too fast. He'd been hurt this way before. "I said, that's enough," he reiterated more firmly, planting both hands on Charlie's chest to forcefully push the dragon keeper away from him.

Charlie looked just as hurt as Draco felt, but it was all too much. The panic had started, and there was no going back tonight. Not until he'd curled up in a ball under his covers and allowed a Calming Draught and the oblivion of sleep to wash away all thoughts of what might have happened if Draco hadn't been so very  _Draco._

His breathing was coming fast and shallow. Suddenly, he turned and ran, only waiting until he'd made it to the street outside before Apparating away.

* * *

The following weeks passed slowly in comparison to the previous one. Draco did everything in his power to avoid Charlie. He was mortified about the way he'd behaved and knew he'd pushed his own issues and insecurities on Charlie. The dragon handler came to knock at Draco's office often, but he'd learned the art of warding from the best—one Miss Hermione Granger, herself—and they didn't budge beneath the litany of spells Charlie sent their way.

For some reason, it hadn't occurred to Draco that the dragon handler could find him at home. The wards on the flat were just the standard safety and locking wards—nothing like what he used on his office at work or his flat in London. He dismantled the wards after he came home from work one day and found he had a visitor.

Standing stupidly in the doorway, staring at the leather-clad redhead on the couch, Draco was lost for words. Charlie stood and made his way over, looking like he couldn't figure out what he was supposed to do with his hands. They ended up stuffed into his pockets. Enough time had passed that Draco thought the other man had given up and moved on; his presence confounded him and continued to render him speechless.

Charlie looked as exhausted as the younger man felt, purple smudges gouged into the skin beneath his eyes. His head tilted to the side, and Draco found himself wondering if they were destined to stare at each other silently in this tiny flat of Romania forever.

Squaring his shoulders in determination, Charlie finally said, "I'm sorry."

Draco had to clear his throat twice before he could speak. "Excuse me?"

"I am  _so_ sorry. I haven't seriously dated in years. I've been so excited to get to know you, then I finally get a chance and bollocks it all up." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "You're just  _so far_  out of my league, and I didn't want to let you get away."

Snorting derisively, the Slytherin replied,"Quite the opposite is true, let me assure you."

An unruly grin lit up Charlie's features. "So we're both quite a catch. I suppose I can agree to that."

"I'm serious," Draco said stubbornly. "Things always follow the same pattern. I let some amazing bloke charm the pants off of me, we have a bit of fun, and they leave as soon as things start to get serious. This is going to be just like that…" he dropped his head, quietly finishing, "...and I can't do that to myself again."

Running a hand over his face, the redhead continued earnestly, "I know I've made a right mess of things. I don't have much experience to draw on, as far as dating is concerned. But I felt, from the day you arrived, that there was something special about you. I moved too fast. I always do. But you're worth more than that. You're worth going as slow as you want. Just…please. Give me a chance?"

Draco lifted his head to pierce the dragon handler with his mercurial gaze, attempting to discern the man's intentions. Finally, he slumped in defeat, the side of his head resting on the door. "It may not have been entirely your fault."

"Come again?"

He was utterly uncomfortable with the discussion. Hermione often said he was ' _allergic to showing his feelings.'_  His words were slow coming, each one revealing another layer to the man Charlie so desperately wanted to know. "My love life has made me a bit… jaded. The first few times, it didn't matter if it didn't work out. I was still figuring out who I was, what I wanted. But then there was a pattern. All these beautiful men with their pretty words wanted me for a day, a night, maybe a month. Then they were done with me, as soon as they started to get to know who I really am. I don't know if the problem was with them or with me, but I know going fast has never worked out for me before. I'm sorry."

The apology was said so quietly, Charlie nearly missed it. It didn't sound at all like the proud, snarky man usually did. The hurt he'd experienced at the hands of past lovers was clearly written in the dejection on his face, and Charlie vowed to right the wrongs done to this beautiful, impossible man.

"Can we start over?"

Draco's chin lifted, one eyebrow raised in confusion. "Beg pardon?"

Instead of waiting for an answer to his question, the dragon tamer went outside, shut the door, and knocked. Draco shook his head but opened the door.

The redhead was all warm smiles and charm. "I'm Charlie Weasley. Pleased to meet you."

Draco stared dumbly at Charlie's outstretched hand, completely at a loss. After a moment that stretched a little too long, he slowly shook hands. "Draco Malfoy."

The grin on Charlie's face couldn't be contained. It pushed some of the exhaustion from his features, lighting up Draco's dreary evening. "Well… Would you like to come in?"

The redhead looked very much like he wanted to accept, but he shook his head. "That's alright. It means a lot to me to go about this the right way. We'll start slow, give that a try for once, yeah?" Draco nodded warily. "Will you sit with me in the canteen at lunch tomorrow?"

Still lost for words, Draco simply nodded.

"Great! I'll see you then. Cheers!"

* * *

It was a summer of firsts after that, starting with that first meal together at work. Charlie insisted that it was  _not_ a date, simply a chance to get to know each other better. Draco felt unreasonably comfortable in the redhead's presence, aside from the chemistry that made him feel continually off balance in the best possible way. They peppered each other with questions, and Charlie finally landed on, "What album have you listened to most recently?"

Draco felt the tips of his ears redden. Clearing his throat, he attempted to answer with dignity he didn't feel. "I waited exactly two days before I gave in and owl ordered the Foo Fighters album you told me about. Granger taught me how to use one ages ago. Hearing you sing it to me was… absolutely amazing. Even if I have 'relationship PTSD,' or whatever Granger calls it, I can appreciate vocal talent when I hear it."

The dimple was out in full force on Charlie's cheek. "Mine or the singer on the album's?"

The blush was spreading down Draco's neck. He coughed lightly. "Both."

"You have a thing for singers; I love to sing. That bodes well."

* * *

The rest of their 'firsts' went just as well. Charlie dropped by Draco's office a few days later to ask him out on their first date. Draco agreed and was absolutely shocked when Charlie took him out onto the reserve to fly his favourite dragon together. The blond had always had a soft spot for being in the air, and the dragon handler mirrored his passion. Riding a dragon made Draco feel much less  _in control_ than riding a broom did, but he was grinning just as absurdly when they touched back down.

Charlie helped lower him to the ground before dropping down himself, giving the dragon a pat on the neck and sending her back to her friends before he turned to face Draco and groaned at the pink-cheeked, windswept man. "Bloody hell. You are so lucky I like you enough to not kiss you right now.

The statement startled a laugh from the Slytherin's chest, and he grabbed Charlie's hand as they prepared to Apparate back to town. "Will this do for now?"

"Absolutely."

* * *

They went on one or two dates a week from then on, exploring Muggle and magical options alike. Draco was shocked that he was the first one to introduce Charlie to Muggle cinema, but he was more than happy to hold Charlie's hand through the action-packed film, even when he was fairly certain the redhead was going to break his fingers from excitement.

Nothing a little Skele-Gro couldn't fix.

They shared scars, tattoos—Charlie had a silver dragon on his back that Draco was particularly fond of—hopes, fears, dreams… and finally their second first kiss. That quickly devolved into snogging.

But they'd moved slower than either of them had thought possible, stretching out their courtship over the course of the summer. They still hadn't discussed who would visit whom—or whether one of them might relocate—but the chances of them working out looked extremely promising.

That didn't stop Charlie from teasing.

"You'll say 'when' once you've had enough of me?" he asked, sneaking the words in between slow, open-mouthed kisses.

Draco broke away, feigning nonchalance as he slowly removed the thin strip of leather from the dragon tamer's hair. Wild, fiery curls tumbled down to frame Charlie's face. Draco nuzzled his face in the tangled mess, revelling in the musky smell of man, leather, and dragon fire, before murmuring, "I never want you to stop. Promise me you'll never stop."

Charlie's breath hitched, causing Draco to pull back, realising he needed to see the other man's face when he responded. The dragon keeper's pupils were blown wide, his kiss-bruised lips turned up in a devilish grin. He fisted a handful of Draco's fine hair, the other hand grabbing the back of his shirt, drawing him in until Draco felt completely enveloped in muscle and heat and desire.

Finally, an answer rumbled from deep in Charlie's chest when his lips were just a breath away from his own. Draco felt the tingle of the word on his lips just before they were lost to the kiss once more.

"I promise."


End file.
